Windy City Gridiron: FanPosts

Prospects to Watch - 2013

2013-05-24T13:56:55Z

Yes, the 2014 NFL Draft is 11 months away, but college football is ramping up... and since I love both college football and the NFL Draft, it's never too early for me to start identifying prospects I want to watch during the season as possible future Bears.

Below is my "consensus" list of prospects to watch this year in order of overall ranking (based on my own formula weighting various pre-season boards):

Name	Position	School
Jadeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Louisville
Marquise Lee	WR	USC
Cyrus Kouandjio	OT	Alabama
Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M
Anthony Barr	DE/OLB	UCLA
Louis Nix III	DT	Notre Dame
Taylor Lewan	OT	Michigan
Bradley Roby	CB	Ohio State
Tajh Boyd	QB	Clemson
Stephon Tuitt	DE/DT	Notre Dame
Adrian Hubbard	OLB	Alabama
C.J. Mosley	ILB/OLB	Alabama
Antonio Richardson	OT	Tennessee
Loucheiz Purifoy	CB	Florida
Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson
Timmy Jernigan	DT	Florida State
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
Kyle Van Noy	OLB	BYU
Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M
Aaron Lynch	DE	South Florida
David Yankey	OT	Stanford
Anthony Johnson	DT	LSU
Brandon Coleman	WR	Rutgers
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Washington
Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M
Ryan Shazier	ILB/OLB	Ohio State
Jason Verrett	CB	TCU
A.J. McCarron	QB	Alabama
Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix	S	Alabama
De'Anthony Thomas	RB	Oregon
Jeremiah Attaochu	OLB	Georgia Tech
Ka'Deem Carey	RB	Arizona
Christian Jones	OLB	Florida State
Morgan Breslin	DE	USC
Scott Crichton	DE/OLB	Oregon State
Daniel McCullers	DT	Tennessee
Cameron Erving	OT	Florida State
A.J. Johnson	OLB	Tennessee
Lache Seastrunk	RB	Baylor
David Fales	QB	San Jose State
Trent Murphy	DE/OLB	Stanford
Will Sutton	DT	Arizona State
Aaron Colvin	CB	Oklahoma
Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
Colt Lyerla	TE	Oregon
Trey DePriest	ILB/OLB	Alabama
Ed Reynolds	S	Stanford
Jackson Jeffcoat	DE	Texas
James Hurst	OT	North Carolina
Yawin Smallwood	ILB/OLB	Connecticut
Zach Mettenberger	QB	LSU
David Carr	QB	Fresno State
Deandre Coleman	DT	California
Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
Dominique Easley	DE/DT	Florida
Quandre Diggs	CB	Texas
Chaz Sutton	DE	South Carolina
Jordan Matthews	WR	Vanderbilt
Marcus Roberson	CB	Florida
Kony Ealy	DE	Missouri
Aaron Murray	QB	Georgia
Bennett Jackson	CB	Notre Dame
Gabe Jackson	OG	Mississippi State
Anthony Chickillo	DE	Miami
Odell Beckham	WR	LSU
Khalil Mack	OLB	Buffalo
Karlos Williams	S	Florida State
Seantrel Henderson	OT	Miami
Justin Gilbert	CB	Oklahoma State
Calvin Barnett	DT	Oklahoma State
Deshazor Everett	CB	Texas A&M
Cassius Marsh	DT	UCLA
Cyril Richardson	OT/OG	Baylor

Below is my "consensus" list of prospects to watch this year in order of overall ranking (based on my own formula weighting various pre-season boards):

Name	Position	School
Jadeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Louisville
Marquise Lee	WR	USC
Cyrus Kouandjio	OT	Alabama
Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M
Anthony Barr	DE/OLB	UCLA
Louis Nix III	DT	Notre Dame
Taylor Lewan	OT	Michigan
Bradley Roby	CB	Ohio State
Tajh Boyd	QB	Clemson
Stephon Tuitt	DE/DT	Notre Dame
Adrian Hubbard	OLB	Alabama
C.J. Mosley	ILB/OLB	Alabama
Antonio Richardson	OT	Tennessee
Loucheiz Purifoy	CB	Florida
Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson
Timmy Jernigan	DT	Florida State
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
Kyle Van Noy	OLB	BYU
Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M
Aaron Lynch	DE	South Florida
David Yankey	OT	Stanford
Anthony Johnson	DT	LSU
Brandon Coleman	WR	Rutgers
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Washington
Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M
Ryan Shazier	ILB/OLB	Ohio State
Jason Verrett	CB	TCU
A.J. McCarron	QB	Alabama
Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix	S	Alabama
De'Anthony Thomas	RB	Oregon
Jeremiah Attaochu	OLB	Georgia Tech
Ka'Deem Carey	RB	Arizona
Christian Jones	OLB	Florida State
Morgan Breslin	DE	USC
Scott Crichton	DE/OLB	Oregon State
Daniel McCullers	DT	Tennessee
Cameron Erving	OT	Florida State
A.J. Johnson	OLB	Tennessee
Lache Seastrunk	RB	Baylor
David Fales	QB	San Jose State
Trent Murphy	DE/OLB	Stanford
Will Sutton	DT	Arizona State
Aaron Colvin	CB	Oklahoma
Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
Colt Lyerla	TE	Oregon
Trey DePriest	ILB/OLB	Alabama
Ed Reynolds	S	Stanford
Jackson Jeffcoat	DE	Texas
James Hurst	OT	North Carolina
Yawin Smallwood	ILB/OLB	Connecticut
Zach Mettenberger	QB	LSU
David Carr	QB	Fresno State
Deandre Coleman	DT	California
Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
Dominique Easley	DE/DT	Florida
Quandre Diggs	CB	Texas
Chaz Sutton	DE	South Carolina
Jordan Matthews	WR	Vanderbilt
Marcus Roberson	CB	Florida
Kony Ealy	DE	Missouri
Aaron Murray	QB	Georgia
Bennett Jackson	CB	Notre Dame
Gabe Jackson	OG	Mississippi State
Anthony Chickillo	DE	Miami
Odell Beckham	WR	LSU
Khalil Mack	OLB	Buffalo
Karlos Williams	S	Florida State
Seantrel Henderson	OT	Miami
Justin Gilbert	CB	Oklahoma State
Calvin Barnett	DT	Oklahoma State
Deshazor Everett	CB	Texas A&M
Cassius Marsh	DT	UCLA
Cyril Richardson	OT/OG	Baylor

Urlacher, Butkus or Singletary?

2013-05-22T22:54:59Z

Simple question for all Bears fans out there. Who was the greatest Middle Line Backer in Chicago Bears history? Will the Bears retire Urlacher's #54 the same way they retired Butkus's #51? Do the Bears have someone ready to step in and fill Urlacher's shoes? Where do you see us finishing this year? Which NFC North opponent do you all fear the most? Detroit, Minnesota or Green Bay? And was it fair for the Bears to fire Lovie Smith after going 10-6 and just missing the playoffs?

The Chicago Bears Should Entrust the Offense to Marc Trestman

2013-05-17T14:57:18Z

A lot of fans are still having trouble getting past the Lovie Smith era. For all the good and bad things the former head coach of the Chicago Bears did, he at least brought stability to perhaps the most important coaching position in Chicago sports. He also represented a long line of defensive-minded men who tailored to the defensive mindedness of the city. Now all that has passed. GM Phil Emery kick started his second year in charge by dragging the Windy City out of its comfort zone by hiring the offensive specialist Marc Trestman. Nobody is certain yet on how they should feel about the former NFL coordinator and CFL head coach. He seems analytical and boring in appearance, but is there good reason for Bears fans to have hope for their historically listless offense in 2013?

The best way to answer that question is by using his other previous coaching stops around the league. In order to get an accurate assessment it's important to exclude his stints as purely a quarterback coach and focus solely on the first year he was appointed offensive coordinator. The reason for this is to get the best look at his immediate impact on an offense, good or bad. So with that in mind where to start? Trestman broke into the league with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a running backs and quarterbacks coach from 1985 to 1987. His first shot at offensive coordinator came in 1989 with the Cleveland Browns. That year the team averaged 20 points per game and reached the AFC championship. This was a modest improvement from the year before at 19 ppg.

A falling out with then head coach Bud Carson sent Trestman back to the Vikings before he landed his first big break with the San Francisco 49ers in 1995. That year they were the defending champions and averaged 28 points per game. That might seem great but it was actually a three point drop from the 31 ppg they posted in 1994. Yet that offense in '95 under Trestman was good enough to rank #1 in total offense. His next stint came with the Oakland Raiders where he took the offense implanted by Jon Gruden that scored 25 points per game in 2001 up to 28 points per game in 2002, their last season in the playoffs.

Perhaps the most dramatic shift however came when he left the U.S. for Canada to pursue his dream of head coaching. The Montreal Alouettes hired him to turn around a struggling offense. This Trestman did with remarkable results. In 2007, Montreal averaged 22 points per game and surrendered 66 sacks on star quarterback Anthony Cavillo. Just one year later, it went up to 33 points per game and a mere 22 sacks given up. Montreal reached the Grey Cup that year, and went on to win two-in-a-row over the next two seasons.

What this means for the Bears is big things. They have a solid quarterback in place with Jay Cutler who, regardless of his colorful stat sheet, can play really well when guided properly. The offensive line is better, or at least more talented than last season and the playbook far more complex. Using his previous stops as a guideline Chicago can expect somewhere around a three-point bump in points per game this season. For an idea, that would've been 26 points per game in 2012 (a score which would have won four extra games that season).

It's impossible to tell if things will actually go this way for the Bears this year. One thing is for sure though, history doesn't lie when it happens the same way over and over again. That is why the Trestman effect could bring big positives right away.

Poll

How will the Bears offense finish in 2013?

Chicago Bears What-If Machine: Jay Cutler

2013-05-17T06:26:47Z

via www.chicitysports.com

Having passed over the river on Brian Urlacher, the focus of fans must undoubtedly shift to the key player that will make or break their season. Jay Cutler has wanted the pressure on him since he joined the Chicago Bears in 2009. It took four years, a new general manager and a new head coach but he finally got his way. The only question left is does he have the time to act on it?

New GM Phil Emery loves to keep his methods and intentions a secret throughout the off-season. So far though things couldn't be clearer. Half the roster is either signed to a one-year deal or in the last year of a contract. Names like Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Matt Slauson, Henry Melton and Major Wright are in the same boat as Cutler. If they want their big pay day, they will have to earn it in 2013. That means playing well and reaching the playoffs. Fans and media can dance around it all they like. It won't matter. The Bears were good enough to reach the post-season last year at 10-6. On paper at least they've improved since then with additions like Jermon Bushrod and Martellus Bennett in free agency and Kyle Long, Jon Bostic and Khaseem Greene from the draft. This team is younger, faster and still experienced enough to win.

Yet nothing changes. Everything rests on Cutler having a great season. Last year was his worst as a Bear in a lot of statistical categories. Excluding 2011 where he only played ten games, his 3,033 yards, 19 touchdown passes, and 58% completion percentage were all career lows for his time in Chicago. Emery saw the problems from the outset. He knew the only way Jay could succeed was having someone in charge who could get the most out of him. That was why the Bears hired Canadian league coach and former coordinator Marc Trestman. His history tutoring quarterbacks is long and successful spanning a half dozen teams. The kicker is, outside of Steve Young he's never had a quarterback with the physical talent Cutler possesses.

Does that mean Chicago is married to this relationship? No. It does however mean Jay has every opportunity to succeed. His offensive line has improved as have the receivers. The coaching staff is revamped with a number of proven offensive minds and the defense should move along just fine under veteran coordinator Mel Tucker.

So what if Cutler plays well but the Bears still miss the playoffs? This is probably the $64 million question. Based on a black and white outlook, it's clear Chicago is very open to offering a new contract if he plays better than last year. Still, if the numbers don't reflect the mark of a top ten quarterback they are far more likely to use the franchise tag, pay him $15 million for another season and use a high draft choice on a possible replacement. The same could happen if he doesn't play great but the Bears make the playoffs anyway.

A long-term extension of any kind must come when certain parameters are filled. Cutler must not only put up the numbers that mark a franchise quarterback, Chicago must win because of him. That is how the last three Super Bowl champions did it. That is how teams will do it in the future. The time of leaning on the defense and getting off the bus running are gone. The deficiencies around Cutler have begun to disappear, as have his excuses.

Erik Lambert is an avid Chicago Bears fan and writer for the team. Follow him @ErikLambert1 on Twitter, "Like" him on Facebook or join him on Google+.

via www.chicitysports.com

Erik Lambert is an avid Chicago Bears fan and writer for the team. Follow him @ErikLambert1 on Twitter, "Like" him on Facebook or join him on Google+.

Poll

Where does Cutler land by the end of the 2013 season?

WCG is an enabler...

2013-05-16T19:31:25Z

I have been a big Bears fan for a long time, but for some reason this off-season I have been like a junkie looking to score when it comes to Bears info... I recently found WCG from a Yahoo link ( I know Yahoo is terrible, but it's my homepage)... I must say the content and contributions from the members and staff here is really good... There can sometimes be an air of self-righteous from the "experts", but for the most part it's civil and constructive with regards to the posts and comments... Maybe it's the new coaching staff, but i am really looking forward to this season and all the wackiness WCG will bring with it...

B34R DOWN

Trestman values age

2013-05-15T21:51:53Z

via static.nfl.com

Jay Cutler is 30 and his best football is ahead of him he might as well be 40 because it doesn't matter to Marc Trestman.

I was looking at the 2002 Oakland Raiders roster and i seen the ages of some of those guys and was definitely impressed with their production and it left me with another good reason to trust Marc Trestman check it out.

Rich Gannon - QB - Age 37 - 4689 Passing yds - 618 Pass Attempts - 418 Completions - 26 tds - 97.3 QB Rating

Charlie Garner RB - Age 30 - 962 Ru Yds - 941 Rec Yds - 1903 total yds from scrimmage

Tim Brown WR - Age 36 - 81 Rec Yds - 930 Rec Yds - 2 TDs

Jerry Rice WR - Age 40 - 92 Rec Yds - 1211 Rec Yds - 7 TDs

Trestman's system itself seems to be solid no matter the age, i just found that interesting and it gives me alot more confidence on the impact Trestman could have. It's amazing really if you think about it even going into the CFL QB Anthoney Calvillo was 39 and very productive.

Trestman values experience and knowledge and obvioulsly that philosophy doesn't fail him and i doubt it will fail this season with Cutler and the rest of the offense who are infants still to Trestman.

via static.nfl.com

Jay Cutler is 30 and his best football is ahead of him he might as well be 40 because it doesn't matter to Marc Trestman.

Rich Gannon - QB - Age 37 - 4689 Passing yds - 618 Pass Attempts - 418 Completions - 26 tds - 97.3 QB Rating

Charlie Garner RB - Age 30 - 962 Ru Yds - 941 Rec Yds - 1903 total yds from scrimmage

Tim Brown WR - Age 36 - 81 Rec Yds - 930 Rec Yds - 2 TDs

Jerry Rice WR - Age 40 - 92 Rec Yds - 1211 Rec Yds - 7 TDs

Da Curious Case of Jay Cutler

2013-05-15T00:51:11Z

Everyone is tired of the Jay Cutler excuses but it's just impossible to overlook the fact that Jay Cutler is a product of his environment.

Despite his NFL upbringing he has still done an outstanding job. A quarterback prospect would be more than happy to accomplish what Jay Cutler has in his first 5 years as a starter on regular terms, but nothing about Jay Cutler's career has been regular or consistent.

Names	Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Jay Cutler	Aaron Rogers	Joe Flacco
Wins	42	58	40	39	52	54
Completion %	62.06	62.0	62.56	61.0	65.9	60.6
TD's	138	123	105	108	170	102
TD % (touchdowns per attempt	4.92	4.86	4.52	4.54	6.54	4.08
INT's	100	66	64	81	45	56
INT % ( per pass attempt)	3.54	2.62	2.8	3.3	1.72	2.26
Y/A (yards per attempt)	7.34	7.14	7.04	7.28	8.2	7.08
Y/C (yards per completion	11.82	11.48	11.24	11.94	12.44	11.7
QB Rating	85.9	88.6	86.92	84.58	105.74	86.28
Sacks	108	156	108	148	202	174
Sack % (sacks according to pass attempts)	3.68	5.9	4.5	6.14	6.58	7.16

Observations:

These stats do not include Cutler's year with Brandon Marshall.
I did the first 5 years starting at quarterback because Rodgers and Flacco have only been starting for five.
There's no question Rogers may be the best ever stat wise in the first five years of starting but let us also be mindful that he had 3 yrs to learn a system before starting.
According to these stats,the Ravens may have been the better team but Cutler is the better quarterback.

Offensive Coordinators:

Peyton Manning-Tom Moore (5 yrs)

Tom Brady-Charlie Wies (4 yrs), Eric Mangini (1 yr)

Drew Brees-Cam Cameron (4 yrs), Doug Marrone (1 yr)

Jay Cutler-Rick Dennison (1 yr), Ron Turner (1 yr), Mike Martz (2 yrs)

Aaron Rodgers- Joe Philbon (4 yrs), Tom Clements (1yr)

Joe Flacco-Cam Cameron (5yrs)

Oberservations:

Though Brady and Rodgers had a new coordinator in their 5th year the system remained the same, with probably some added wrinkles.
Drew Brees new coordinator when the Saints picked him up.
Cutler is now on his 5th coordinator. Dennison, Turner, Martz, Tice, and Kromer.

Here's a look at the toys the quarterbacks had at their disposal.

Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Jay Cutler	Aaron Rodgers	Joe Flacco
Marshall Faulk	Troy Brown	Duece McAllister	Selvin Young	Ryan Grant	Willis McGahee
Zack Crockett	David Patton	Mike Karney	Brandon Marshall	Donald Driver	Leron McClain
Marvin Harrison	Kevin Faulk	Marques Colston	Brandon Stokley	Greg Jennings	Derrick Mason
Ken Dilger	Christian Fauria	Ladanian Tomlinson	Daniel Graham	Donald Lee	Mark Clayton
Marcus Pollard	Marc Edwards	Curtis Conway	Travis Henry	Jermicheal Finley	Todd Heap
Edgerrin James	Daniel Graham	Tim Dwight	Javon Walker	James Jones	Lorenzo Neal
Dominic Rhodes	David Givens	Reche Caldwell	Tony Scheffler	Jordy Nelson	Ray Rice
Reggie Wayne	Corey Dillon	Lorenzo Neal	Eddie Royal	Brandon Jackson	Anquan Boldin
Qadry Ismail	Ben Watson	David Boston	Tatum Bell	John Kuhn	Ed Dickson
	Andr'e Davis	Antonio Gates	Peyton Hillis	James Starks	T.J. Houshmendzadeh
	Tim Dwight	Kassim Osgood	Ryan Torain	D.J. Williams	Vonta Leach
		Malcom Floyd	Micheal Pittman	Cedric Benson	Torrey Smith
		Keenan McCardell		Randall Cobb	Dennis Pitta
		Micheal Turner	Matt Forte	Alex Green	Jacoby Jones
		Darren Sproles	Jason McKie
			Earl Bennett
			Devin Hester
			Johnny Knox
			Greg Olsen
			Devin Aromashodu
			Desmond Clark
			Kellen Davis
			Brandon Manamaleuna
			Chester Taylor
			Roy Williams
			Marion Barber
			Armando Allen
			Kahlil Bell
			Tyler Clutts
			Dane Sazenbacher
			Matt Spaeth

Observation:

One thing that I found that I thought was cool and special was the fact that every one of Rodgers receivers except for Cobbs was there before Rodgers or they were rookies the year he started.

You being the Jury I ask what is your verdict?

Everyone is tired of the Jay Cutler excuses but it's just impossible to overlook the fact that Jay Cutler is a product of his environment.

Names	Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Jay Cutler	Aaron Rogers	Joe Flacco
Wins	42	58	40	39	52	54
Completion %	62.06	62.0	62.56	61.0	65.9	60.6
TD's	138	123	105	108	170	102
TD % (touchdowns per attempt	4.92	4.86	4.52	4.54	6.54	4.08
INT's	100	66	64	81	45	56
INT % ( per pass attempt)	3.54	2.62	2.8	3.3	1.72	2.26
Y/A (yards per attempt)	7.34	7.14	7.04	7.28	8.2	7.08
Y/C (yards per completion	11.82	11.48	11.24	11.94	12.44	11.7
QB Rating	85.9	88.6	86.92	84.58	105.74	86.28
Sacks	108	156	108	148	202	174
Sack % (sacks according to pass attempts)	3.68	5.9	4.5	6.14	6.58	7.16

Observations:

These stats do not include Cutler's year with Brandon Marshall.
I did the first 5 years starting at quarterback because Rodgers and Flacco have only been starting for five.
There's no question Rogers may be the best ever stat wise in the first five years of starting but let us also be mindful that he had 3 yrs to learn a system before starting.
According to these stats,the Ravens may have been the better team but Cutler is the better quarterback.

Offensive Coordinators:

Peyton Manning-Tom Moore (5 yrs)

Tom Brady-Charlie Wies (4 yrs), Eric Mangini (1 yr)

Drew Brees-Cam Cameron (4 yrs), Doug Marrone (1 yr)

Jay Cutler-Rick Dennison (1 yr), Ron Turner (1 yr), Mike Martz (2 yrs)

Aaron Rodgers- Joe Philbon (4 yrs), Tom Clements (1yr)

Joe Flacco-Cam Cameron (5yrs)

Oberservations:

Though Brady and Rodgers had a new coordinator in their 5th year the system remained the same, with probably some added wrinkles.
Drew Brees new coordinator when the Saints picked him up.
Cutler is now on his 5th coordinator. Dennison, Turner, Martz, Tice, and Kromer.

Here's a look at the toys the quarterbacks had at their disposal.

Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Jay Cutler	Aaron Rodgers	Joe Flacco
Marshall Faulk	Troy Brown	Duece McAllister	Selvin Young	Ryan Grant	Willis McGahee
Zack Crockett	David Patton	Mike Karney	Brandon Marshall	Donald Driver	Leron McClain
Marvin Harrison	Kevin Faulk	Marques Colston	Brandon Stokley	Greg Jennings	Derrick Mason
Ken Dilger	Christian Fauria	Ladanian Tomlinson	Daniel Graham	Donald Lee	Mark Clayton
Marcus Pollard	Marc Edwards	Curtis Conway	Travis Henry	Jermicheal Finley	Todd Heap
Edgerrin James	Daniel Graham	Tim Dwight	Javon Walker	James Jones	Lorenzo Neal
Dominic Rhodes	David Givens	Reche Caldwell	Tony Scheffler	Jordy Nelson	Ray Rice
Reggie Wayne	Corey Dillon	Lorenzo Neal	Eddie Royal	Brandon Jackson	Anquan Boldin
Qadry Ismail	Ben Watson	David Boston	Tatum Bell	John Kuhn	Ed Dickson
	Andr'e Davis	Antonio Gates	Peyton Hillis	James Starks	T.J. Houshmendzadeh
	Tim Dwight	Kassim Osgood	Ryan Torain	D.J. Williams	Vonta Leach
		Malcom Floyd	Micheal Pittman	Cedric Benson	Torrey Smith
		Keenan McCardell		Randall Cobb	Dennis Pitta
		Micheal Turner	Matt Forte	Alex Green	Jacoby Jones
		Darren Sproles	Jason McKie
			Earl Bennett
			Devin Hester
			Johnny Knox
			Greg Olsen
			Devin Aromashodu
			Desmond Clark
			Kellen Davis
			Brandon Manamaleuna
			Chester Taylor
			Roy Williams
			Marion Barber
			Armando Allen
			Kahlil Bell
			Tyler Clutts
			Dane Sazenbacher
			Matt Spaeth

Observation:

One thing that I found that I thought was cool and special was the fact that every one of Rodgers receivers except for Cobbs was there before Rodgers or they were rookies the year he started.

You being the Jury I ask what is your verdict?

Windy City Dynasty League

2013-05-12T18:28:10Z

I recently posted a response in a Saturday Bear Den Post to inquiry to see if there was any interest in starting up a Fantasy Football Dynasty League. I got a surprising response back already. Talking with a few interested parties I was turned on to the idea of making a fan post on the subject.

Its very early in the process of setting up the league, draft wont come till August. But with trying to set up a Dynasty League comes a lot of work and a key aspect to creating a successful league is filtering the right people into the league. If I can create a large enough pile of interested people to draw from, I will have the best chance of creating a league that will last.

The following is something I typed up. Some of it has been copied and pasted from http://dynastyleaguefootball.com/ and edited to fit my vision of the league. Please realize I do not view myself as a writer so don't judge :

Welcome to Dynasty Fantasy Football

What is a Dynasty League?

A dynasty style fantasy football league is a league where you retain most or all of your players from year to year. In ours we will be allowing teams to retain their whole roster. This creates an environment which is very different from that of a redraft league. By enabling team owners to keep players and build a team over time, there is a much stronger sense of team ownership, and success is achieved with a greater sense of satisfaction.
Mistakes or successes in a dynasty league can affect the fortunes of a franchise for years to come, just like in the NFL. A dynasty league also facilitates trades, including trading of draft picks, and it encourages a deeper roster pool, so young ‘project' players can be identified and groomed.

New additions to the game that come with Dynasty League

IDP's - Individual Defensive Players have been add to rosters. They include the following : one Defensive End (DE), one Defensive Tackle (DT), 2 Defense Backs (DB) ,and one Linebacker (LB) . There will be a scoring breaking down for more details, but to sum it up points are scored off sacks, tackles, tackles for loss, interceptions, and passes defended. IDP's add a much greater degree of depth and interest to the game and bring more trade and future draft options.

Expanded Rosters- With the addition of IDP's , the current starting line up is now at 13 players, with 13 bench spots for a total of 26 spots. Please see position break downs for more detail and restriction in place

The addition of IR spots- Injured Reserve spots have been add to the league. This allows players that have been placed on the official NFL IR list to be placed on your very own IR list so that you still keep that player without having to forgo a roster spot. There is a limit of 2 IR spots per team and our league manager site will only allow players that have actually been placed on IR in the NFL to be placed on your IR.

The addition of the Taxi Squad- Adding taxi squads allows teams to draft or pick up players that could have future potential without giving up a roster spot. The catch is though once the player has promoted to your active list, he can not be demoted back to the taxi squad for the rest of the season. Players on your taxi squad can also be picked up by other teams, though you have first rights to them and the team that comes away with him must add that player to their roster. Players that have been promoted to active maybe be dropped, in which they will become a FA. The maximum spots for a taxi squad is 3.

Trading draft pics- Teams will now have the ability to trade drafts picks in current drafts along with future drafts (up to 3 years ahead). Player trades can also include draft picks.
Future drafts- After the first start up draft (which will included 28 rounds total), every season after that will include a 3 round draft to be held sometime after the NFL draft. At that point all new rookies and current FA will become avaible to be drafted. Any FAs available at the end of the regular NFL season (week 17) will be locked till the next draft. Any players not drafted will then be available via normal FA transaction.

League Break Down

League Name: ???
Website of League Manager: Myfantasyleague.com or possibly another platform
League ID: TBD
Entree Fee: TBD but will be managed by http://www.leaguesafe.com/ to ensure safe and reliable fund transfers.
League Size: 12 teams divided into 2 conferences with 2 divisions in each of 3 teams (total of 4 divisions)
League Schedule: 13 week regular season: You will pay each each in your division twice (4 games total), you will play all other teams once for a total of 9 games.
Playoffs: Each conference will have a 1st place team in each division. The top team from the conference will have a bye week 14. The other division leader will then play the wild card team (determined by the 3rd overall best record in conference) in week 14. Winner of that then plays 1st place team in week 15. Winner of that game goes to championship game week 16 against other conference.
Pay outs: TBD once Entree Fee is set, there will be a first, second and third place pay out.
Roster Break down

Starting Spots
1 QB (a limit of 3 allowed on your roster at a given time, excluding IR and taxi squad spots)
2 RB
2 WR
1 TE
1 Flex (RB/WR/TE)
1 PK (kicker)
1 DE (this includes Outside Linebackers)
1 DT
1 LB
2 DBs
Bench Spots
13 bench spots
2 Injuried Reserve spots (see Dynasty Intro for rules regarding IR)
2 taxi squad spots (see Dynasty Intro for rules regarding taxi squads)

Trades
All trades must be approved by the commissioner. Teams may trade for trade picks also (up to 3 years in advanced). There is a trade deadline of week 10. We also are looking at the idea of trades/FA pick ups costing real money too which would then go to the pot, we will discuss this once the league is formed.
Free Agents
The league will be using a blind bid waiver system. Each team starts out with a budget of $100 (fake money). Blind Bidding takes place from kickoff of the first game of the week through Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Then its first come, first served till kickoff of the first game of the following week. Waivers end on week 16 kickoff and FA are locked till next seasons draft.
Point system
For detail on how the point system breaks down please see the website (once created) for there is way to much to write. But to give a basic overview, this will be scored like a PPR/C (Points per reception/carrier league). This type of scoring relies on performance more than TDs. And IDP's score points based on tackles, sacks, and more.
Draft
Draft order will be picked at random for the first draft. The first draft will be a large draft so that teams may fill all 26 (for now may change) spots. Several ways are being looked at on how to conduct it. The current options are one long live draft person or on line thru the site), conducting the draft via email (which the site supports and runs for us) or separating the live draft into 2 days. We will know more once we get the team spots filled and feed back is given.
The following seasons will have much shorter drafts consisting of 3 rounds. This drafts will included all new rookies and any current FA's on market at time. It will take place around preseason so that teams may get a look at current rookies performance in camps. Draft order will be based on prior season records, with tie breaker being strength of schedule of prior season.

I will be working next on a application and a way to track those so that I can keep everyone informed over the next months. Feel free to post suggestions of questions. My email is chadbruin@yahoo.com so you can hit me up there too.

ALSO THE RULES ABOVE ARE NOT SET IN STONE, this is just getting the foundation down.

Thanks guys!!!

Welcome to Dynasty Fantasy Football

What is a Dynasty League?

ALSO THE RULES ABOVE ARE NOT SET IN STONE, this is just getting the foundation down.

Thanks guys!!!

The Final 53: Thinking Outside The Box

2013-05-12T18:06:01Z

The Cerebral Twins we have leading the way will again do what they do and step outside the box when putting together our final roster.

Quarterback

1. Jay Cutler

2. Josh McCown

3. Matt Blanchard

Review: It's a possibility we may carry only two quarterbacks and place Blanchard on the practice squad. I'm not sure how that affects his learning and every day presence with the organization. This roster spot may be needed for positions where greater depth is needed.

Running Back

4. Matt Forte

5. Micheal Bush

6. Micheal Ford

Review: If Ford can continue to impress he has a shot to overtake Armando. Ford's ability to be a returner gives him the advantage of Allen.

Fullback

7. Evan Rodriguez

Review: Some of you mentioned that we don't need to fill a spot for a backup fullback, and I now agree. Hopefully we try to get creative with Bush, if not I fully expect our backup fullback to be on our practice squad.

Tight End

8. Martellus Bennett

9. Steve Maneri

10. Fendi Onobun

Review: Our 4th spot will be held down by Rodriguez. We wont be confined to always having a fullback on the field, nor will we be confined to a dual tight end set. Maneri will be the beef needed for a run set. Fendi will finally take his league experience and his skill set and make the most of it. Fendi may find the field more than Maneri.

Offensive Lineman

11. Jermon Bushrod

12. Roberto Garza

13. Kyle Long

14. J'marcus Webb

15. Johnathan Scott

16. Matt Slauson

17. James Brown

18. Gabe Carimi

19. Eben Britton

Review: This is definitely the hardest battle that will take place. I think our Staff will step outside the box and keep more than normal. What if this battle turns out harder than expected? I think Mills will be placed on the practice squad because of his youth. We've all kind of written off Britton but this guy was drafted high and I would assume he understands whats at stake. If I had to pick between Britton and Carimi I think Britton may be the better, so what about keeping both? We are quick to delete Scott off of this list but he still ended the year as our best RT. There is also a possibility we place James Brown on the practice squad too, but since he wasn't there last year I wont assume him to be down graded this year. Some of you spoke of Slauson playing center, I don't think he will be the backup, but I think like our fullback position our backup center will be placed on the practice squad. No matter whether that turns out to be Boggs, Lonergan, or Ferentz, the fact that their all young enables us to place one or all of them on the practice squad.

Safety

20. Major Wright

21. Chris Conte

22. Brandon Hardin

23. Craig Steltz

24. Tom Nelson

25. Tom Zbikowski

Review: I believe we will see a change in what positions we use for special teams. Our team wont be so linebacker and corner heavy anymore. I would take Hardin, Nelson, and Zbikowski over Bowman on special teams any day. There's a possibility Steltz doesn't make the cut but he is the most experienced in the scheme and he comes for cheap.

Cornerback

26. Charles Tillman

27. Tim Jennings

28. Kelvin Hayden

29. Isaiah Frey

30. Reggie Rembert

Review: I believe we keep this list short and sweet. Hayden and Frey are capable of manning the outside as backups. The biggest battle here will be between Hayden and Frey for the nickel position. Some of you may be asking where Bowman is but his only value on this team is on special teams and that can be replaced by one of our safeties. Last year when injurys hit the Bears chose to go with Hayden over Bowman and that tells me all I need to know. I think the biggest surprise on this list will be Rembert. This guy was an All-American. He has completed his two years of service to the Air Force now it's time to get back to the game he loves. He is undersized but he is a physical nickel back with more than enough speed. He also has value on special teams as a returner.

Wide Receiver

31. Brandon Marshall

32. Alshon Jeffrey

33. Earl Bennett

34. Terrence Tolliver

35. Marquess Wilson

Review: This seems kind of short but we will find a way to utilize all of our weapons. The fact that we now have a weapon at tight end takes some pressure off of the receiver position. There is a possibility that Weems pay wont stand in the way of him being cut because his value hasn't seem to match his pay. We may have to have a 6th receiver or we may just keep one of our younger guys on the practice squad. That 6th spot would be held down by either Weems or Brittan.

Linebackers

36. D.J. Williams

37. Lance Briggs

38. James Anderson

39. Jon Bostic

40. Khaseem Greene

Review: After further thought I don't see why we would need a 6th or 7th linebacker. With Bostic and Greene's ability to play multiple linebacker positions what do we need everybody else for. Some of you may be thinking what about extra guys for special teams but that's where our safeties will come in, and Greene and Bostic will be playing special teams too.

Defensive Lineman

41. Julius Peppers

42. Henry Melton

43. Stephen Paea

44. Nate Collins

45. Zach Minter

46. Shea McClellin

47. Corey Wooton

48. Cornelius Washinton

Review: These 8 guys will see plenty of time on the field. I don't think we need a fifth at either DT or DE. People like Turk and Izzy brought position flexibility but that was once needed because others weren't stepping up. I think Minter, Peppers, and Wooten can become and inside pass rusher next to Melton on passing situations. And on the outside I don't see why four wouldn't be able to hold it down. Of course I fully expect a DE to be on the practice squad.

Special Teams

49. Devin Hester

50. Patrick Mannelly

51. Robbie Gould

52. Adam Podlesh

53. ?

Review: That 53rd spot is just an open spot that im unsure what position will fill it.

Reality:

We will have to have a 6th receiver spot (Weems/Golden)
We will most likely have 7 offensive lineman rather than 9 (Britton/?)
We will probably carry 5 safeties instead of 6(minus Nelson)
We will probably add an additional DT and DE (Turk/Moore)

Practice Squad Possibles:

1. Golden Britton-WR

2. Richard Samuel-FB

3. Mark Harrison-WR

4. Markus Rucker-WR

5. Dale Moss-WR

6. James Farentz-C

7. Damontre Hurst-CB

8. Jordan Mills-OT

9. P.J. Lonergan-T

10. Taylor Boggs-C

11. Jon Major-LB

12. Brent Russell-DT

13. Josh Williams-DE

14. Keegan Wetzel-LB

15. Cyhl Quarles-S

16. Tom Nelson-S

53 Man Roster (according to who I have listed as the final 53)

QB: Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Matt Blanchard

RB: Matt Forte, Micheal Bush, Micheal Ford

FB: Evan Rodriguez

TE: Martellus Bennett, Steve Maneri, Fendi Onobun

WR1: Brandon Marshall, Terrence Tolliver, Marquess Wilson

WR2: Alshon Jeffrey, Terrence Tolliver, Marquess Wilson

Slot: Earl Bennett, Marquess Wilson

LT: Jermon Bushrod, J'Marcus Webb, Kyle Long

LG: Matt Slauson, Kyle Long, Eben Britton

C: Roberto Garza, Matt Slauson

RG: Kyle Long, Gabe Carimi, James Brown, Eben Britton

RT: Jonathan Scott, J'Marcus Webb, Gabe Carimi

DE: Julius Peppers, Corey Wooten, Cornelius Washington, Shea McClellin

3Tech: Henry Melton, Zach Minter, Julius Peppers, Corey Wooten, Nate Collins

Nose: Stephen Paea, Nate Collins

DE: Corey Wooten, Shea McClellin, Cornelius Washinton

WLB: Lance Briggs, Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene

MLB: Jon Bostic, D.J. Williams, Khaseem Greene

SLB: D.J. Williams, James Anderson, Khaseem Greene

LCB: Tim Jennings, Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden

RCB: Charles Tillman, Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden

Nickel: Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden, Reggie Rembert

FS: Chris Conte, Brandon Hardin, Major Wright, Tom Nelson, Craig Stelz

SS: Major Wright, Tom Zbikowski, Craig Steltz

P: Adam Podlesh

K: Robbie Gould

KR: Devin Hester, Micheal Ford

PR: Devin Hester, Reggie Rembert

The Cerebral Twins we have leading the way will again do what they do and step outside the box when putting together our final roster.

Quarterback

1. Jay Cutler

2. Josh McCown

3. Matt Blanchard

Running Back

4. Matt Forte

5. Micheal Bush

6. Micheal Ford

Review: If Ford can continue to impress he has a shot to overtake Armando. Ford's ability to be a returner gives him the advantage of Allen.

Fullback

7. Evan Rodriguez

Tight End

8. Martellus Bennett

9. Steve Maneri

10. Fendi Onobun

Offensive Lineman

11. Jermon Bushrod

12. Roberto Garza

13. Kyle Long

14. J'marcus Webb

15. Johnathan Scott

16. Matt Slauson

17. James Brown

18. Gabe Carimi

19. Eben Britton

Safety

20. Major Wright

21. Chris Conte

22. Brandon Hardin

23. Craig Steltz

24. Tom Nelson

25. Tom Zbikowski

Cornerback

26. Charles Tillman

27. Tim Jennings

28. Kelvin Hayden

29. Isaiah Frey

30. Reggie Rembert

Wide Receiver

31. Brandon Marshall

32. Alshon Jeffrey

33. Earl Bennett

34. Terrence Tolliver

35. Marquess Wilson

Linebackers

36. D.J. Williams

37. Lance Briggs

38. James Anderson

39. Jon Bostic

40. Khaseem Greene

Defensive Lineman

41. Julius Peppers

42. Henry Melton

43. Stephen Paea

44. Nate Collins

45. Zach Minter

46. Shea McClellin

47. Corey Wooton

48. Cornelius Washinton

Special Teams

49. Devin Hester

50. Patrick Mannelly

51. Robbie Gould

52. Adam Podlesh

53. ?

Review: That 53rd spot is just an open spot that im unsure what position will fill it.

Reality:

We will have to have a 6th receiver spot (Weems/Golden)
We will most likely have 7 offensive lineman rather than 9 (Britton/?)
We will probably carry 5 safeties instead of 6(minus Nelson)
We will probably add an additional DT and DE (Turk/Moore)

Practice Squad Possibles:

1. Golden Britton-WR

2. Richard Samuel-FB

3. Mark Harrison-WR

4. Markus Rucker-WR

5. Dale Moss-WR

6. James Farentz-C

7. Damontre Hurst-CB

8. Jordan Mills-OT

9. P.J. Lonergan-T

10. Taylor Boggs-C

11. Jon Major-LB

12. Brent Russell-DT

13. Josh Williams-DE

14. Keegan Wetzel-LB

15. Cyhl Quarles-S

16. Tom Nelson-S

53 Man Roster (according to who I have listed as the final 53)

QB: Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Matt Blanchard

RB: Matt Forte, Micheal Bush, Micheal Ford

FB: Evan Rodriguez

TE: Martellus Bennett, Steve Maneri, Fendi Onobun

WR1: Brandon Marshall, Terrence Tolliver, Marquess Wilson

WR2: Alshon Jeffrey, Terrence Tolliver, Marquess Wilson

Slot: Earl Bennett, Marquess Wilson

LT: Jermon Bushrod, J'Marcus Webb, Kyle Long

LG: Matt Slauson, Kyle Long, Eben Britton

C: Roberto Garza, Matt Slauson

RG: Kyle Long, Gabe Carimi, James Brown, Eben Britton

RT: Jonathan Scott, J'Marcus Webb, Gabe Carimi

DE: Julius Peppers, Corey Wooten, Cornelius Washington, Shea McClellin

3Tech: Henry Melton, Zach Minter, Julius Peppers, Corey Wooten, Nate Collins

Nose: Stephen Paea, Nate Collins

DE: Corey Wooten, Shea McClellin, Cornelius Washinton

WLB: Lance Briggs, Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene

MLB: Jon Bostic, D.J. Williams, Khaseem Greene

SLB: D.J. Williams, James Anderson, Khaseem Greene

LCB: Tim Jennings, Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden

RCB: Charles Tillman, Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden

Nickel: Isaiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden, Reggie Rembert

FS: Chris Conte, Brandon Hardin, Major Wright, Tom Nelson, Craig Stelz

SS: Major Wright, Tom Zbikowski, Craig Steltz

P: Adam Podlesh

K: Robbie Gould

KR: Devin Hester, Micheal Ford

PR: Devin Hester, Reggie Rembert

Da New Era in Chicago Bear Football, Part 2: At The Gun Range with Our New Weapons

2013-05-10T19:25:25Z

Are you ready for some football?

Im so excited the beginning of football is here. Im excited and happy to have Emery and Trestman on our side. I cant remember a time where I was this excited to see the outcome of rookie mini-camp. Yes Emery will be judged on his draft selections but it's the undrafted selections that could possibly tell us the depth of Emery's scouting prowless.

I'm not sure if its just me but I cant remember if we usually have this many players at our rookie mini-camp.

Emery is putting together an army fit for war and I'm happy to be a citizen of the Chicago Bear Nation.

-These are the participants of rookie mini-camp-

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Matt Blanchard	6'3	225	Signed Vet	4.69	n/a	30 ½	9'02	4.25	6.74
Jimmy Coy	6'0	211	Tryout	4.60	n/a	36	9'09	4.29	7.15

Players at risk: n/a

There's a buzz that after the first line of cuts the Bears will pick up a quarterback to compete with Blanchard and McCown. I highly doubt it, but hey what do I know. I fully expect to hear some positive buzz about Blanchard after this weekend. If for some reason we don't hear anything Blanchard may be a casualty, though positive buzz may not keep him from being a casualty either.

RB/FB

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Micheal Ford (RB)	5'10	210	Signed UDFA	4.40	25	39 1/2	10'10	4.25	6.87
Kellen Bartlett (FB)	6'3	253	Tryout	4.75	14	30	9'02	4.50	7.45
Richard Samuel (FB)	6'1	238	Tryout	4.58	23	36 ½	10'05	4.33	7.19

Players at risk: Armando Allen, Gabe Miller, Harvey Unga

I think Richard Samuel will be a threat to Ford and Allen. His build and athleticism allows him to possibly be the third string running back and the second string fullback. The only question left to ask is can he catch?

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Brittan Golden	5'11	185	Signed Vet	4.48	16	36	10'02	4.25	6.80
Dale Moss	6'3	213	Signed Vet	4.51	11	41 1/2	10'10	4.13	6.35
Terrence Tolliver	6'4	204	Signed Vet	4.52	n/a	33 1/2	10'02	4.03	6.48
Mark Harrison	6'3	231	Signed UDFA	4.31	17	38 1/2	10'09	4.33	6.99
Marcus Rucker	6'3	195	Signed UDFA	4.42	n/a	37 ½	10'04	4.20	7.09
Josh Lenz	5'11	201	Signed UDFA	4.39	21	38 1/2	10'01	4.20	6.59
Demetrius Fields	5'11	207	Tryout	4.67	16	31	9'08	4.21	6.97
Harry Peoples	5'9	196	tryout	4.48	14	35	10'01	4.20	7.08
Marquess Wilson	6'3	194	Signed Pick	4.45	7	34 ½	10'02	4.33	6.65

Players at risk: Eric Weems

This will be such a good positional battle. Not only for playing time but for depth at the returner position.
Josh Lenz hasn't even earned a roster spot and already he is a player at risk to get cut because they brought in a couple more returners to compete with him.

Tight Ends

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Eddie Viliunas	6'3	252	Tryout	4.86	14	29 ½	8'09	4.57	7.09
Corey Fuller	6'5	241	Tryout	4.86	23	34 ½	9'10	4.35	7.03

Players at risk: n/a

Offensive Lineman

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Derek Dennis (G)	6'3	318	Signed Vet	5.30	25	24 1/2	8'05	4.85	8.21
Cory Brandon (T)	6'7	325	Signed Vet	5.34	26	26	8'06	4.97	8.04
P.J. Lonergan (C)	6'3	304	Signed UDFA	5.23	27	26	7'08	4.93	8.01
Nate Behrends (G)	6'5	311	Tryout	5.69	30	24	8'03	5.00	8..26
A.J. Lindeman (T/OG)	6'6	307	Tryout	5.24	23	27	8'03	5.01	7.48
Bryan Farentz (C)	6'3	284	Tryout	5.11	23	27 ½	8'01	n/a	n/a
Kyle Long	6'6	313	Signed pick	4.91	n/a	28	8'11	4.63	7.83
Jordan Mills	6'5	316	Signed pick	5.30	20	28 ½	8'05	4.87	7.74

Players at risk: Edwin Williams, Gabe Carimi

Things aren't looking too good for Edwin Williams. I sure hope he brings his A game when camp opens for him.
There is definitely a chance Farentz steps ahead of Lonergan on the list of next man in line.
Dennis and Brandon are definitely on their last leg, it may be time for them to have a seat somewhere else.

Defensive Lineman

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Zach Minter (DT)	6'1	301	Signed UDFA	4.80	31	34 ½	8'11	4.37	7.54
Brent Russell (DT)	6'2	303	Signed UDFA	5.12	36	27	8'05	5.16	7.77
Pat Williams (DT)	6'3	276	tryout	4.84	20	29	8'07	n/a	n/a
Aston Whiteside (DE)	6'2	255	Signed Vet	4.88	19	33	9'03	4.50	7.39
Josh Williams (DE)	6'4	257	tryout	4.70	18	29 ½	9'07	4.60	7.93
Cornelius Washington (DE)	6'4	265	Signed pick	4.53	36	39	10'08	4.74	7.47

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Corey Irvin (DT)	6'3	301	Unsigned Vet	4.96	24	25	8'07	4.66	7.44
Christian Tupou (DT)	6'2	289	5.31	5.31	37	24	7'08	4.87	8.07

Players at risk: Andre Fluellin, Turk McBride, Cheta Ozougwa

The staff should be able to identify all of the positive and negatives of these guys because there are only six D-line prospects this weekend.

Linebackers

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Lawrence Wilson	6'1	229	Signed Vet	4.68	24	32 ½	9'05	4.50	7.08
Tunde Bakare	5'9	202	Tryout	4.52	21	33	9'10	4.20	7.03
Archibald Barnes	6'4	235	Tryout	4.96	11	31	9'04	4.38	7.93
Jon Major	6'2	234	Tryout	4.80	17	31 ½	9'02	4.33	7.20
Andrew Starks	6'3	231	tryout	4.70	23	38	9'05	4.22	6.87
Jon Bostic	6'1	245	Signed pick	4.59	22	32 1/2	9'10	4.24	6.99
Khaseem Greene	6'1	241	Signed pick	4.67	17	30	9'08	4.20	7.58

Name

Height

Weight

Status

Bench

Vert

Broad

shuttle

3cone

Keegan Wetzel

(LB/FB)

6'3

226

Tryout

4.96

8'08

4.40

7.19

Players at risk: J.T. Thomas, Blake Costanzo, Jerry Franklin, Patrick Trahan

Jon Major is about to steal somebodys roster spot. Those of you looking for him to start might as well keep dreaming. With that 40 time he will be a special teams ace and a capable back-up.
Having Tunde Bakare on this list speaks volumes on the fact that we are still making efforts to have the top special teams in the league. Whoever made the decision to give this guy a try has a couple brain cells up stairs. When yall look at this kid don't see him as a linebacker, look at him as a special teams guy. He is one of the reasons why guys like Weems may not make the final roster.

Cornerback

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Isaiah Frey	5'11	190	Signed Vet	4.45	18	32 ½	9'11	4.04	6.90
Damontre Hurst	5'09	189	Signed UDFA	4.51	11	37	10'00	4.26	7.16
C.J. Wilson	5'11	193	Signed UDFA	4.34	17	37	10'00	4.19	6.90
Maurice Jones	5'09	193	Tryout	4.41	13	36 ½	10'02	4.19	6.56
Reggie Rembert	5'7	180	Tryout	4.40	15	41	10'02	4.07	6.69
B.J. Scott	5'11	198	Tryout	4.63	21	34 1/2	9'00	4.64	7.29

Players at risk: Zack Bowman, Sherrick McManis, Lequan Lewis

With the addition of Jones and Rembert we can now have a competion for the backup returner position.
Something to be mindful of, this kid Rembert came out of the 2011 draft. He played ball for Air Force. I like his chances.

Safety

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Cyhl Quarles	6'2	212	Signed Vet	4.54	19	32 ½	9'11	4.27	7.21
Dalton Hilliard	5'11	202	Tryout	4.72	20	34	9'11	4.58	7.06
Chris Salvi	5'10	4.73	Tryout	4.73	15	41	8'07	4.25	6.92

Players at risk: Tom Nelson, Anthony Walters, Craig Steltz, Tom Zbikowski

There's something about all this safety movement that tells me we will be loading up on head hunters for our special teams. I believe we will keep more than the normal amount of safeties and that will affect our count at receiver, and possibly another position.

Special Teamers

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40
Tress Way (P)	6'1	215	Signed UDFA	4.87
Austin Signor (K)	6'4	232	Signed UDFA	n/a
Brandon Hartson (LS)	6'3	251	Tryout	5.13
Jay Karutz (P)	6'1	198	Tryout	4.82
Kyle Negrete (P)	6'0	217	Tryout	5.08
Zak Pederson (LS)	n/a	n/a	tryout	n/a
Patrick Murray (K)	5'08	178	tryout	n/a

Players at risk: n/a

There is something about this list that displays intelligence to me. I believe this list will be this size every year. We've had a couple injuries at punter and kicker but I expect to walk into the new season with the same starters. This list speaks volumes from a preparation stand point. If an injury were to occur we will be more than prepared to bring in one of these guys without having to question their ability or hold an in-season tryout.

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLEEEE!

Are you ready for some football?

I'm not sure if its just me but I cant remember if we usually have this many players at our rookie mini-camp.

Emery is putting together an army fit for war and I'm happy to be a citizen of the Chicago Bear Nation.

-These are the participants of rookie mini-camp-

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Matt Blanchard	6'3	225	Signed Vet	4.69	n/a	30 ½	9'02	4.25	6.74
Jimmy Coy	6'0	211	Tryout	4.60	n/a	36	9'09	4.29	7.15

Players at risk: n/a

There's a buzz that after the first line of cuts the Bears will pick up a quarterback to compete with Blanchard and McCown. I highly doubt it, but hey what do I know. I fully expect to hear some positive buzz about Blanchard after this weekend. If for some reason we don't hear anything Blanchard may be a casualty, though positive buzz may not keep him from being a casualty either.

RB/FB

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Micheal Ford (RB)	5'10	210	Signed UDFA	4.40	25	39 1/2	10'10	4.25	6.87
Kellen Bartlett (FB)	6'3	253	Tryout	4.75	14	30	9'02	4.50	7.45
Richard Samuel (FB)	6'1	238	Tryout	4.58	23	36 ½	10'05	4.33	7.19

Players at risk: Armando Allen, Gabe Miller, Harvey Unga

I think Richard Samuel will be a threat to Ford and Allen. His build and athleticism allows him to possibly be the third string running back and the second string fullback. The only question left to ask is can he catch?

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Brittan Golden	5'11	185	Signed Vet	4.48	16	36	10'02	4.25	6.80
Dale Moss	6'3	213	Signed Vet	4.51	11	41 1/2	10'10	4.13	6.35
Terrence Tolliver	6'4	204	Signed Vet	4.52	n/a	33 1/2	10'02	4.03	6.48
Mark Harrison	6'3	231	Signed UDFA	4.31	17	38 1/2	10'09	4.33	6.99
Marcus Rucker	6'3	195	Signed UDFA	4.42	n/a	37 ½	10'04	4.20	7.09
Josh Lenz	5'11	201	Signed UDFA	4.39	21	38 1/2	10'01	4.20	6.59
Demetrius Fields	5'11	207	Tryout	4.67	16	31	9'08	4.21	6.97
Harry Peoples	5'9	196	tryout	4.48	14	35	10'01	4.20	7.08
Marquess Wilson	6'3	194	Signed Pick	4.45	7	34 ½	10'02	4.33	6.65

Players at risk: Eric Weems

This will be such a good positional battle. Not only for playing time but for depth at the returner position.
Josh Lenz hasn't even earned a roster spot and already he is a player at risk to get cut because they brought in a couple more returners to compete with him.

Tight Ends

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Eddie Viliunas	6'3	252	Tryout	4.86	14	29 ½	8'09	4.57	7.09
Corey Fuller	6'5	241	Tryout	4.86	23	34 ½	9'10	4.35	7.03

Players at risk: n/a

Offensive Lineman

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Derek Dennis (G)	6'3	318	Signed Vet	5.30	25	24 1/2	8'05	4.85	8.21
Cory Brandon (T)	6'7	325	Signed Vet	5.34	26	26	8'06	4.97	8.04
P.J. Lonergan (C)	6'3	304	Signed UDFA	5.23	27	26	7'08	4.93	8.01
Nate Behrends (G)	6'5	311	Tryout	5.69	30	24	8'03	5.00	8..26
A.J. Lindeman (T/OG)	6'6	307	Tryout	5.24	23	27	8'03	5.01	7.48
Bryan Farentz (C)	6'3	284	Tryout	5.11	23	27 ½	8'01	n/a	n/a
Kyle Long	6'6	313	Signed pick	4.91	n/a	28	8'11	4.63	7.83
Jordan Mills	6'5	316	Signed pick	5.30	20	28 ½	8'05	4.87	7.74

Players at risk: Edwin Williams, Gabe Carimi

Things aren't looking too good for Edwin Williams. I sure hope he brings his A game when camp opens for him.
There is definitely a chance Farentz steps ahead of Lonergan on the list of next man in line.
Dennis and Brandon are definitely on their last leg, it may be time for them to have a seat somewhere else.

Defensive Lineman

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Zach Minter (DT)	6'1	301	Signed UDFA	4.80	31	34 ½	8'11	4.37	7.54
Brent Russell (DT)	6'2	303	Signed UDFA	5.12	36	27	8'05	5.16	7.77
Pat Williams (DT)	6'3	276	tryout	4.84	20	29	8'07	n/a	n/a
Aston Whiteside (DE)	6'2	255	Signed Vet	4.88	19	33	9'03	4.50	7.39
Josh Williams (DE)	6'4	257	tryout	4.70	18	29 ½	9'07	4.60	7.93
Cornelius Washington (DE)	6'4	265	Signed pick	4.53	36	39	10'08	4.74	7.47

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Corey Irvin (DT)	6'3	301	Unsigned Vet	4.96	24	25	8'07	4.66	7.44
Christian Tupou (DT)	6'2	289	5.31	5.31	37	24	7'08	4.87	8.07

Players at risk: Andre Fluellin, Turk McBride, Cheta Ozougwa

The staff should be able to identify all of the positive and negatives of these guys because there are only six D-line prospects this weekend.

Linebackers

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Lawrence Wilson	6'1	229	Signed Vet	4.68	24	32 ½	9'05	4.50	7.08
Tunde Bakare	5'9	202	Tryout	4.52	21	33	9'10	4.20	7.03
Archibald Barnes	6'4	235	Tryout	4.96	11	31	9'04	4.38	7.93
Jon Major	6'2	234	Tryout	4.80	17	31 ½	9'02	4.33	7.20
Andrew Starks	6'3	231	tryout	4.70	23	38	9'05	4.22	6.87
Jon Bostic	6'1	245	Signed pick	4.59	22	32 1/2	9'10	4.24	6.99
Khaseem Greene	6'1	241	Signed pick	4.67	17	30	9'08	4.20	7.58

Name

Height

Weight

Status

Bench

Vert

Broad

shuttle

3cone

Keegan Wetzel

(LB/FB)

6'3

226

Tryout

4.96

8'08

4.40

7.19

Players at risk: J.T. Thomas, Blake Costanzo, Jerry Franklin, Patrick Trahan

Jon Major is about to steal somebodys roster spot. Those of you looking for him to start might as well keep dreaming. With that 40 time he will be a special teams ace and a capable back-up.
Having Tunde Bakare on this list speaks volumes on the fact that we are still making efforts to have the top special teams in the league. Whoever made the decision to give this guy a try has a couple brain cells up stairs. When yall look at this kid don't see him as a linebacker, look at him as a special teams guy. He is one of the reasons why guys like Weems may not make the final roster.

Cornerback

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Isaiah Frey	5'11	190	Signed Vet	4.45	18	32 ½	9'11	4.04	6.90
Damontre Hurst	5'09	189	Signed UDFA	4.51	11	37	10'00	4.26	7.16
C.J. Wilson	5'11	193	Signed UDFA	4.34	17	37	10'00	4.19	6.90
Maurice Jones	5'09	193	Tryout	4.41	13	36 ½	10'02	4.19	6.56
Reggie Rembert	5'7	180	Tryout	4.40	15	41	10'02	4.07	6.69
B.J. Scott	5'11	198	Tryout	4.63	21	34 1/2	9'00	4.64	7.29

Players at risk: Zack Bowman, Sherrick McManis, Lequan Lewis

With the addition of Jones and Rembert we can now have a competion for the backup returner position.
Something to be mindful of, this kid Rembert came out of the 2011 draft. He played ball for Air Force. I like his chances.

Safety

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40	Bench	Vert	Broad	shuttle	3cone
Cyhl Quarles	6'2	212	Signed Vet	4.54	19	32 ½	9'11	4.27	7.21
Dalton Hilliard	5'11	202	Tryout	4.72	20	34	9'11	4.58	7.06
Chris Salvi	5'10	4.73	Tryout	4.73	15	41	8'07	4.25	6.92

Players at risk: Tom Nelson, Anthony Walters, Craig Steltz, Tom Zbikowski

There's something about all this safety movement that tells me we will be loading up on head hunters for our special teams. I believe we will keep more than the normal amount of safeties and that will affect our count at receiver, and possibly another position.

Special Teamers

Name	Height	Weight	Status	40
Tress Way (P)	6'1	215	Signed UDFA	4.87
Austin Signor (K)	6'4	232	Signed UDFA	n/a
Brandon Hartson (LS)	6'3	251	Tryout	5.13
Jay Karutz (P)	6'1	198	Tryout	4.82
Kyle Negrete (P)	6'0	217	Tryout	5.08
Zak Pederson (LS)	n/a	n/a	tryout	n/a
Patrick Murray (K)	5'08	178	tryout	n/a

Players at risk: n/a

There is something about this list that displays intelligence to me. I believe this list will be this size every year. We've had a couple injuries at punter and kicker but I expect to walk into the new season with the same starters. This list speaks volumes from a preparation stand point. If an injury were to occur we will be more than prepared to bring in one of these guys without having to question their ability or hold an in-season tryout.

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLEEEE!

Time to set up the annual bet

2013-05-10T15:17:38Z

For the past three years, me and David Taylor have had a bet riding on the first game the Vikes play against the Bears. We've changed our icons, our sigs, and donated to each other's favorite charity. I know there was an idea of having the loser sing the other team's fight song this year and putting that sucker up on youtube, but I'm curious what else you can come up with.

So, what's the best gentleman's bet people can think of this year?

Update on my wife...

2013-05-07T10:26:30Z

The tumor is benign. Which is the best news we could get, and we are hoping it doesn't get worse. The doctors are going to monitor it every few months. What a giant relief, they did explain however, that if they ever have to operate, it would be an extremely difficult procedure, due to the fact that the tumor is wrapped by some of her arteries. I want to thank all of you for your well wishes and prayers during this emotional rollercoaster.

The Chicago Bears What-If Machine: Brian Urlacher

2013-05-07T02:09:29Z

It is a long way until the 2013 NFL regular season officially begins. That leaves plenty of time for drama to unfold, namely around roster decisions. One favorite thing fans like to do year in and year out is play the game of what-if. By definition, a what-if is when a question is posed about what would happen when something is changed in the past, present or future. The Chicago Bears have plenty of what-ifs to consider heading into a pivotal year. First and foremost is the lingering question about dearly departed linebacker Brian Urlacher.

The Cons

Phil Emery knew what he was up against before the off-season even started. Urlacher was obviously the big fish entering free agency (after Henry Melton) but he also had Nick Roach to worry about, not to mention the prospect of no legitimate young talent behind them. Common sense said he should use his limited salary cap to bring at least Urlacher back to keep the Bears defense under proper leadership. Instead Emery took a cheaper, more business-like route. He avoided long-term contracts for both veteran players and handed out one-year deals to D.J. Williams and James Anderson. Each come in with solid playing experience and something Emery covets in his players: speed. That alone made it difficult to see Chicago reconciling with Urlacher after they publicly declared contract talks were at an end.

Perhaps the proverbial "nail in the coffin" came on draft weekend when they took not one but two linebackers. Jon Bostic comes from a proven program in Florida where he piled up lots of experience in the middle of a great defense. Fellow draft pick Khaseem Greene joins him from Rutgers out of an eerily similar background to Brian in that he too started as a safety before converting. Each player brings youth, speed, and extra talent to a group that suddenly looks like a team strength this season. That leaves the window for a return all but shut.

The Pros

Yet, cliché as it may sound, anything is possible. There are factors still in play that could get the two sides talking again. Urlacher still hasn't drawn much interest from other teams despite his proven history. Most are likely wary of his two previous leg injuries that robbed him of his trademark speed. At this point his only value is to a team that runs a 4-3 style defense that needs linebacker help badly enough they would sign a 34-year old coming off knee and hamstring problems. In simple terms that is nobody. The Minnesota Vikings were the only real threat given their holes on defense but that seems to have fizzled out.

So Urlacher's best hope to salvage one more year is to convince the Bears that he can a.) Still play at a high level and b.) Become a willing teacher to the young rookies they've collected. Perhaps most important is the same reason he left in the first place. He will have to lower his price. Chicago doesn't have the cap space to meet the $3.5 million he asked for and may not even have enough to offer the $2 million they set as their offer when free agency started. Pride and ego almost always get in the way of things like this. It's a fact of sports and every other business. Regardless, Urlacher still has value given his leadership and knowledge of the defense. Passing up a chance to have him impart that wisdom onto the next generation is a little short-sighted.

Conclusion

Whatever leverage Brian Urlacher might've had over the Chicago Bears ended when they added four accomplished linebackers in the space of a month and a half. If he wants to play now he has to wait for a roster spot to open up on another team because of an injury or he must do something every athlete fears the most. He must swallow his pride, pick up the phone and accept whatever price Phil Emery puts on the table.

The Cons

The Pros

Conclusion

Poll

Can Brian Urlacher set aside his feelings and demands for one more year in Chicago?

Yes

18 votes

No

55 votes

73 votes | Poll has closed

How To Make The Most Out Of My First Bears Game

2013-05-06T19:11:06Z

So I'm making it a goal of mine to make sure I go to at least one Bears game next season. I'm from MI, a huge Chicago sports fan and have been ever since I can remember. I just haven't had the opportunity to get over there. It's not that I haven't attempted it either. We've gotten some friends together to try to get tickets online immediately after they go on sale. We just miss out or happen to not be one of the lucky ones to get an opportunity to buy a ticket under $200.

With that said, I want to know your opinion on what can make my first experience a great one. Some of the questions I have would be:

Where do I go for the best ticket/prices?

Do tickets come with parking passes?

What do you bring to your tailgate and are there certain rules that I should be aware of?

Any recommendations on cheap hotels to stay at that aren't too far away.

Any other words of advice would be helpful and I'm looking forward to hearing about what you all have to say.

Thanks

With that said, I want to know your opinion on what can make my first experience a great one. Some of the questions I have would be:

Where do I go for the best ticket/prices?

Do tickets come with parking passes?

What do you bring to your tailgate and are there certain rules that I should be aware of?

Any recommendations on cheap hotels to stay at that aren't too far away.

Any other words of advice would be helpful and I'm looking forward to hearing about what you all have to say.

Thanks

Is anyone else interested in a topic that will probably be discussed endlessly next year?

2013-05-06T18:28:38Z

I admit, I'm not much of college football watcher. IDK why, but as I was researching our new guys I started watching freaking Johnny Football run around like he was Marcus Dupree. It got me wonering...

would anyone else be interested in a Hershel Walker or Ricky Williams Draft strategy to get that sucker in a Bear uniform? Crimany! that dude is crazy good. come on! How much fun could Trestman have with that race car in his garage?

Once again, I realize this is a touch premature and not very well thought out, or worded but I'm not trying to pretend to be one of the bad ass writers we have here. I just got a itch in my brain and I wanna share it with you fellers. so? what does ya think?

feel free to ignore this, I am quite certain it will be brought up again.

Poll

I would be willing to sacrifice an entire Emery Draft just to get Johnny Manziel.

yes

9 votes

no

62 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed